1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an insulation displacement connector and particularly to an insulation displacement connector which includes engaging means and flat cable configuration alignment means for positioning the flat cable in a proper position during configuration.
2. The Prior Art
Insulation displacement connectors, also known as flat cable connectors or ribbon cable connectors, are widely used to configure cables in a cable assembly for transmitting signals between computers and peripheral devices. Generally, the flat cable consists of a plurality of parallel conductive lines each of which is enclosed in a sheath made of an insulative material such as plastic. An insulation displacement connector is commonly used to connect the flat cable by piercing the corresponding sheath of each line and fixing the flat cable at an engaging line which is substantially perpendicular to the elongate direction of the flat cable. Each insulation displacement connector usually comprises an insulative cover, an insulative housing, and a plurality of contacts received in the insulative housing. While configuring the connector with the flat cable, the insulative cover and the insulative housing are coupled in a first status thus defining a reception space therebetween for reception of a section of the flat cable. The insulative cover is then compressed onto the section of the flat cable (referred to as engagement section hereinafter) and the insulative housing by a jig or the like to facilitate the related contacts of the insulative housing to pierce the sheath of the flat cable and electrically engage with the conductive lines originally enclosed in the sheaths of the flat cable. Meanwhile, the engagement section of the flat cable is fixed between the insulative cover and the insulative housing. However, in a practical configuration, the engagement section of the flat cable is not always located at an optimum position for correct piercing by the related contacts of the insulative housing. Some prior art has formed the insulative cover to be clip-shaped or consisting of two pieces so as to solve the improper piercing problem. Such prior art has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,820,055; 4,068,912; 4,188,083; 4,260,209; 4,359,257; 4,410,222; 4,410,229; 4,475,786; 4,668,039; 4,681,382; and 4,897,041. Although the piercing problem seems to be solved by some prior art, problems due to either an exceedingly wide or narrow flat cable with respect to the reception space defined between the insulative cover and the insulative housing usually cause an unwanted curved portion or a misalignment configuration at the engagement section of the flat cable, thus reducing the yield of the cable assembly.